An eco-friendly single cup of coffee — and a coffeemaker giveaway

Published 11/11 2013 10:14AM

Updated 02/18 2014 06:09AM

From Green Right Now Reports

There are times it makes sense to make a single cup of coffee.

The Suncana coffee maker.

Like when it’s just you who needs a brew. (Pardon the rhyme.) But those single-serve coffee machines that have swept the planet — you know the ones — are creating a mountain of plastic waste, a blizzard of tiny disposable cups, most of which cannot even be recycled.

At least someone’s been thinking about this problem. The Suncana coffee brewer, available at Staples, other stores and online at BluTigres, can use biodegradable coffee packets. That’s big.

Sign up with the BluTigres coffee club and they’ll ship these more planet-friendly coffee packets on a schedule of your choosing.

It’s a workaround we’re glad has arrived.

Also, this month BluTigres, is giving away a coffeemaker to some lucky follower. You have to sign up for their newsletter by July 1. Yes, it’s a marketing ploy to get your email address, and we’re not necessarily advocating that you enter.

We are happy to report, however, about this eco-option for those of you in the market for a single-serve coffee machine/plan.

Coffee. (Photo: Zoka Coffee)

What about the coffee, you’re wondering? Us too. These single-serve arrangements can taste just ghastly and often it’s environmentally checked out.

We haven’t tried the coffee produced by the Suncana. But it’s noteworthy that one of the coffees sold by BluTigres is Seattle-based Zoka, an award-winning coffeemaker. Several of Zola’s coffees are “Direct Trade” from Central American suppliers, and they donate back. We’re not sure how that stacks up against coffees that are certified as Fair Trade — we think certification proves commitment.

But on balance, the Suncana machine, paired with Zoka’s single-serve packets, will provide a more conscionable cup of joe. It certainly beats churning out plastic waste. It could even be Seattle’s best.